About the Assessment
The VAL-ED instrument consists of 72 items that comprise 6 core component subscales and 6 process subscales. There are two parallel forms (A and C) of the assessment to facilitate measuring growth over time. In this 360 degree evidenced-based assessment of leadership behaviors, each respondent rates the principal's effectiveness on a six point scale after having first indicated the sources of evidence on which the effectiveness is rated. The principal does not need to have performed the leadership behavior directly, but may have ensured that the behavior was done by others. The reference period is the current school year. See the sample instrument, which provides sample items and directions to the assessment.

The VAL-ED can be used as part of a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of a leader's behaviors by providing a detailed "picture" of perceived performance. When used appropriately, it yields valuable norm-referenced and criterion-reference scores for evaluating learning-centered leadership. It can be used annually or more frequently to measure performance growth, guide professional development, and facilitate a data-based performance evaluation.

All items and response scales were developed to be aligned with the ISLLC standards. Framework and assessment were critiqued by panels of education leaders and researchers. To establish content validity, items were independently sorted by three respondents into our 36-cell framework. Responses indicated strong content validity and guided further item revisions.

Assessing Learning-Centered Leadership
Powerpoint presentation and overview of the development and reporting features of the VAL-ED. Download Powerpoint Presentation